Lock for mailbag rope



March 5, 1957 M. w. BEHNKE 2,783,634

Loox FOR MAILBA ROPE Filed May 26. 1954 IN V EN TOR.

Maz 56k/2k6,

United States Patent y The present invention relates to the locks for mail bag g cords, andk has for its main object the 'provision of a lockA capable of receiving the ends of a cord looped around the neck of a bag, preventing an unauthorized person to have accesstothe bag short of breaking the cord.

Another object of the ,present invention is thepro-` vision vof a cord lock of the character indicatedcapable of receiving rtherewithin the ends of a cord in a longitudinal relation, and so constructed as to be capable of sliding upon the ends .of the cord toward the loop thereof, that is in the direction of the bag, and which may be wholly incapable' of ,sliding upon the cord ends in the opposite direction, Athat is away from the'bag.

A` still'further object of thepresentinventon is the provision of the lock of the. character indicated which may be capableY of .receiving a padlock, lthe shackleof which denes means for preventinglthe transverse shiftingmovement of, the ends of the cordand of a lever*v 2,783,634 ce Prime# .',MeF-f 5 ,195?

` cord'flt, the two:-endsiofewhichileading-fromthe loopt;

are intended `to be'engaged'l'by--the presentilockgenerally;`A indicated by 15 in Fig. l.`l 4 l 'l l Lock-15'includesangoblong base 16,- provided at its center witha downwardly dependin'gridge 17.- Along its "side edgesy said base- 16 'is provided' -withY fdownwardlyf converging lianges 18 :for therpurpose" of receiving there'` within' in :a contactual relation the Iupwardly projectinganddiverging anges- 19 ofrectangular frame 20. Saidflanges-18 exert strong frictional grip-upon said a'nges 19 for Athe purpose of preventing sliding or -disenga'ge-l mentgof-said frame -20from said'base 16.U The rear end offrarne2t)` is provided with Ian upwardly turned tongue *f 21 which contacts the underface ofsaid base 16. Said frarneg20is in a spacedrelation with said basel 16.-' v

Thjifront endofsaid frame 20 is devoid of tongue 21,` or of any other obstruction between said frame andsaid base `16 providing a slot through which a card Vor the like bearing 'the name, address or both, of the receiver, consignee or the,1ike,'may be inserted.. The writing upony the card will bevisible throughv the 'window detnedby y, the Vfoursides of saidframe20; As is apparent the card inserted through :said slot at the4 front end of the lock willybe-maintained in positionagainst displacement by virtue. ofl the V.friction v exerted thereon by the .sidesA of `said 4 frame"20`at, one sidei'of the card, and "by'saidpridge: 17',4 l

cofacting therewith for. maintaining the cord ends locked same consists in ,the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore fully deSClibed,

shifting illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in ,theappended claim. Y

In the drawing forming apart of this application `and in which like designating characters refer to correspond-v ing parts throughout the several views;

Fig. '.1 illustrates the operativel position ofthe present lock4 and the co-acting -padlock with abag and a cord.Y

looped around the neck thereof; l A Y Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan elevational view of the present lock in the operativepositionrelative to two ends of a cord; i

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of thelock;

Fig.' 4 is the bottom. elevational viewlthereof;

Fig. 5 Iisi-a Ilongitudinalmcross.,sectional viewthrough` the alockiwith-ithe..cord. ends Vin an operative positionY therewith; Y Y

Fig,` 6 is an nend elevational view of the present lock; Fig. 7 is a transverse cross sectionalview throughi the lock on line 7-7 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view on line 8-8 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view on line 9-9 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 10 is a cross sectional View on line 10-10 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 11 is a cross sectional View on line 11-11 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 12 is an elevational view of the opposite end of the lock.

Referring in detail to the present drawing, in Fig. l there is shown a bag 13 for receiving mail or the like. Tightly looped around the neck of said bag 13 is rope or iatthe opposite-side; thereof: I u

The lock `further ,includesa case includingpa pair, ot parallelly disposed walls, 22,1"which by ,theirrlower ends are riveted;solderedvoi'gotherwise`rigidly attached to said4 base '16in a longitudinalrelation therewith andy in a spaced relation ',withpthe.v side edges thereof, asis clearly seen in Figs. 6 to.12`,`inclusive. s

'Extending from the upper, edges of the .two sidewalls 22.adjacent each end thereof, is connecting stripl 23. Connecting in a'rigid relation each of said connecting strips 23N with -saidbase 16,"` substantially centrally of the lock, is`post 24', `riveted or lotherwise rigidly affixed by its ends tothe respective .connectingstrip 23 and said i base`16,gas is clearlyseen in Figs'.v 6,'10', 1l and l2. Each, of said, posts 24"divides the space dened by said side` Y; Walls 22, strips 23and base 16 into twoequal spaces, Y within each Vof which 'one end yof cord M may be accommodated, as is seen in Figs. 2 and 5.

Rearwardly of the front connecting strip 23 the upper edgesof said sidewalls22 are reduced for eil'ecting ie,-. cessesZS, for the purpose hereinafter specified. Rear* wardly of said recesses 25 said side walls22 are upwardly extended tok deline projections 26, each of whichv being provided with aperture 27, thetwo apertures., 27 inthe vtwo projections 26 `being inalinernent, assis seen,v in Fig. k8. 1'

Rearwardly of said projectionsf.'thetwo sideswalls 22 yare connected attheir upper edges by bridge plater28. Rearwardly of said bridge plate 28 the two side walls 22 are ,provided with` recesses 29, which are disposed for-l wardly of the rear connectingstrip 23.1

Co-,acting withV thel case of;the `lock hereinabove` de seen in Fig. 8, and of the width substantially corresponding to the distance between two side plates 22. Said lever 30 is pivoted upon pin 31, in the proximity of thc rear end of said lever 30, and on a plane slightly rearwardly of the plane upon which the said .apertures 27 are located.

The front end of said lever 30 carries an integrally formed and upwardly projecting eye 32, which is of a width larger than the distance between said side plates 22 so that the side portions of said eye 32 project 1aterally beyond said side walls 22, as is clearly seen in Fig. 7. The recesses 25 in plates 22 permit shifting mevement of sadeye 32. .on a vertical plane toer away from said plates 22. Y,

The rear end of said lever 30 is turned in an upward direction for defining tongue 33, the free end of which then be knotted to tighten the lcops around the bag neck,

and thereupon the ends of the cord are passed under the front connecting strip 23, then through said eye 32, extended above lever 30 and then past said bridge plate 28 and above tongue 33, and thereupon under the rear connecting strip 23, as is seen in Figs.2 and 5. VARecesses 25 and 29 permit manual graspy of the ends of cord 14 in order to shift the same longitudinally of the lock until the ends of said cord pass through the rear end of the lock. Manual hold at the sides ,of eye 32 and upward pull exerted thereon will ofcourse angularly shift the front end of lever 30 in an upward direction, causing thereby the angular downward shifting movement of tongue 33 away from bridge plate 28, thereby preventing any interference by said tongue 33 for the shifting of the cord ends. When the cord ends have been extended through the rear end of the lock, the extended ends of the cord may be manually grasped and manual hold of and upward shifting of eye 32 will facilitate shifting of the lock along the two ends of the cord until the front end of the lock comes in contact with the loops of the cord at the neck of bag 13, as is seen in Fig. 1.

Release of the manual hold at eye 32 will tend said eye 32 to shift in the opposite direction, that is toward the upper edges of side walls 22, by virtue of the gravity of the front end of lever 30 and of eye 32, thereby tending to bring the free end of tongue 33 in contact with the ends of cord 14 below said bridge plate `28. It is of course assumed that duringV this'operatio'n the'position of the lock is identical with that shown in Fig. 5, that is with base 16 disposedl in a downward direction, while connecting' strips 23 and bridge plate 28 disposed in an upward direction. 'It is noted that the front end of lever 30 and eye 32 are heavier than the rear end of said lever, including said tongue 33, permitting the upward shifting movement of said tongue 33 in contact with the ends of cord 14. While in the position of the cord ends' within the lock, as seen in Fig. 5, it is possible for the lock to be shifted along said cord ends towards the cord loop and the neck of bag 13, it is wholly impossible 4to shift said lock to the opposite direction, that is away from the bag, unless of course the front end of lever 30 thereby eliminating any space for the angular movement of the front end of lever 30, no matter how much manual pull in the upward direction may be exerted upon eye 32.

Although it is conceivable that even with padlock 35 and its shackle in the operative position with the lock, as .seen in Fig. l, the lock may be shifted along the cord ends toward the cord loop around the neck of the bag, it is wholly impossible to shift the lock to the opposite direction, that is away from the bag, because on latter shifting tongue 33 would bite into the cord ends thereabove to either seriously damage, ravel or sever the cord ends. This result would of itself indicate the unauthorized tampering with the lock and the contents of the bag.

While there is described herein preferred embodiments` said base, a pair of projections extending from said walls ahead of said bridge plate and rising above the plane of the latter, said opposite edges of said walls being provided with recesses ahead of. said projections, a single lever disposed between said walls in a pivoted relation therewith, said lever being of a width substantially equal to the distance between said walls, said lever being substantially in a parallel relationwith said base, and an eye having a single wide aperture carried by the forward end of said lever, the opposite end of said lever being Vupturned for defining a tongue, said eye being wider than the distance between said walls `for selectively permitting said eye to `rest upon the edges of said walls within said recesses, said eye being adapted to receive the cord sections, said cord sections being passed over said lever -Yand between said tongue and-said bridge plate, when within a padlock shackle to bear against the cord sections is rst shifted away from .base 16 in order to release the Y engagement of tongue 33 with the cord ends. When'this is done, the lock may then be freely shifted from they bag.`

lt is of course noted that said tongue 33 vand bridge plateV 28 act as a clamping means for the cord ends, with the sharpened knurls at the free end of tongue 33 biting into the cord, for preventing the shifting of lock along the at points disposed therebelow and to maintain said eye in contact with the edges of said side walls adjacent said recesses and assist the clamping action of said tongue on said cord sections thereby preventing the shifting `movement of the lock longitudinally of the cord sections in either direction.

References Cited in thefilerof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France Dec. 11, 1925 

